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The idea for a future Chevrolet urban mobility vehicle, called the Stretch, won top honors at a design contest at the College for Creative Studies.

Ever heard of the Chevrolet Stretch? It's a two-seat urban mobility vehicle that runs on electric power and is meant to navigate the congested streets of places like Mexico City in 2046. It looks sporty, can be expanded to seat four—hence the name—and was designed to be fun to drive.

General Motors executives have no plans to make the car, because until now, they've probably never heard of it.

That's because it's not even a concept, merely the creation of the imaginative mind of a young designer, whose sketch captured first place in the Michelin Design Competition for the College for Creative Studies on Monday night. The contest features entries from aspiring, soon-to-graduate students, and is in its 23rd year.

Taylor Langhals, 22, of Sylvania, Ohio, penned Stretch, which earned him a $1,250 prize. His creation was one of the more realistic of the entries, and he said it showcased his passion for cars.

“There's a romance between the driver and the exterior of the automobile,” he said.

Clad in a black shirt, silver tie and dark beard, he already looked the part of a designer, and he added a few stylistic flourishes to set the Stretch apart, including wheels that extend at speed from five to 10 spokes.

The other winners were Zack Stephanchick for his Forum design in second place, followed by Jonathan Russell in third place for his Acura Merge concept.

In the team category, Stephanchick, Langhals, Tyler Linner and Jiyun Shin won for concepts of future mobility in a high density city.

The judges were comprised of an A-list panel of designers from the car world: GM designer Bob Boniface, Peter Davis from Tata, Joe Dehner (Chrysler) and David Hall (Michelin).

Boniface, a CCS alumni and designer of the Chevy Volt, won the competition 20 years ago, and said it's refreshing to come back and view future ideas for design.

“They all seem to be very well informed and their research is thorough,” he said.

The winners will display their sketches in January at the Detroit auto show. The ceremony was held on the building that once was the base of General Motors design, and the site of style pioneer Harley Earl's office. The facility has been renovated and is now home to the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education at CCS. Autoweek Editor-in-Chief Keith Crain is chairman of the CCS board of trustees.